Matale mass grave: CID ignores Court order

Despite the Court order to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), to advertise in the media, calling on people to come forward to give evidence with regard to those who are missing in the period of the JVP insurrection in 1988-89, the advertisement had not been published in any media, to date.However, around 70 of the families who had lost their kith and kin, had lodged their complaints at the JVP office in Matale, responding to the JVPs call to do so.The complaints will be screened before the affidavits are made and submitted to the Matale Police, JVP sources said. Former JVP Provincial Council member, Gamagedera Dissanayake, speaking to Ceylon Today, said people are coming every day to give evidence and their cases are being perused. Dissanayake said, lawyers are reviewing the authenticity of the evidence submitted, after which it will be approved, and they will proceed to prepare affidavits to be submitted to Court.

He went on to say that 22 more affidavits had been submitted to Court on 5 June, and the Matale Magistrate, Chaturika de Silva, had accepted them, and had directed that they give their statements to the police. Depending on the veracity of the statements, the Court will determine whether to accept them.

In all, 36 affidavits had been submitted, and accepted by the Matale Magistrate, who had directed the people concerned to go to the Matale Police Station on 11, 12 and 13 June when the CID will be present to record their statements.By Chrishanthi Christopher CT